The Connectivity Standards Alliance, an international community of more than 675 technology companies committed to open standards for the Internet of Things, has unveiled Aliro, a new effort aimed at transforming how users unlock doors or other entry points using their mobile device or wearable.
The Alliance and its members, in pursuit of their mission to promote universal open standards, are creating a new communication protocol with a common credential that champions interoperability between mobile devices, wearables, and access control readers.
The goal is to foster widespread adoption of consumer electronic devices to unlock doors and openings, by enabling a consistent experience across certified hardware. There arrives a point where the adoption of new technology cannot be realised when proprietary solutions make the experience inconsistent for those adopting it and for consumers. The Alliance provides the place where this groundbreaking work can happen.
With the support of companies such as Allegion, Apple, ASSA ABLOY, Google, Infineon, Kastle Systems, Last Lock, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung, and STMicroelectronics, Aliro was formed as a new effort within the Alliance to solve this unique challenge.
The aim is to create a path forward where the use of standardised technology–in this case, a common communication protocol and credential–can power a future where mobile devices and wearables are central to the digital access experience. Since the Aliro effort got underway in 2022, nearly 200 Alliance member companies have signed on, donating dedicated time and resources to help pave the way for a better, interoperable, and more secure digital access experience.
Aliro represents four key principles for mobile device and access reader manufacturers, and with benefits that extend to a wide range of stakeholders, from system owners and installers to property owners and managers, homeowners, and renters, and more. These include:
● Simplicity–Lower barrier to implementation by reducing complexity for integration and streamlining troubleshooting.
● Flexibility–Supports different types of installations or architectures, offering convenient access to both common and individual entry points.
● Security–Foundation to implement state-of-the-art secured and trusted mobile access solutions.
● Interoperability–Standardised communication protocol enables manufacturer-independent devices and readers to work together at the door.
Aliro aims to reduce the complexity of partner integrations and acts as an arbiter for the certification of interoperability for mobile devices and access card readers. It is designed to reduce the high cost of R&D and simplify the integration process.
The certified hardware then makes it easier for system owners and installers to select the best hardware and software for their needs, streamline installation, and support a wide variety of consumer smartphones and wearables. Aliro will also make the management and maintenance of access control systems easier, eliminating the need to troubleshoot across multiple providers of hardware.
